Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Oriba.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant, botanically known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Oribaxe2x80x99.
The new Kalanchoe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-branching and freely-flowering Kalanchoe cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.
The new Kalanchoe originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1997 of the Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Lokon, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Santorini, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Oriba was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Kalanchoe by terminal vegetative cuttings taken at De Lier, The Netherlands, since 1999 has shown that the unique features of this new Kalanchoe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Oriba has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Oribaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Oribaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Numerous large dark pink-colored flowers.
2. Upright, uniform and compact plant habit.
3. Freely branching growth habit.
4. Dark green glossy leaves.
5. Early flowering.
6. Excellent postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Lokon. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Lokon in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were larger than plants of the cultivar Lokon.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Lokon.
3. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had larger leaves than plants of the cultivar Lokon.
4. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was lighter than flower color of plants of the cultivar Lokon.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Santorini. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Santorini in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more compact than plants of the cultivar Santorini.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more uniform in habit than plants of the cultivar Santorini.
3. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was dark pink whereas flower color of plants of the cultivar Santorini was dark orange.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can also be compared to plants of the Kalanchoe cultivar Kerinci, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,031. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Kerinci in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more compact than plants of the cultivar Kerinci.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Kerinci.
3. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Kerinci.
4. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was brighter pink than flower color of plants of the cultivar Kerinci.
5. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Kerinci.